Most pots and pans worth a damn aren’t dishwasher safe.
Well it just says the dishwashing detergent could ruin them, not the actual dishwasher. I don’t think the backup dishwasher minds cleaning these too much though.

All Clad is a good brand. Probably a bit more expensive but IMO well worth it. Everyone also needs a nice cast iron skillet.

plus the 20% off they mail almost monthly

Which model of Calphalon did you select?

I have the stainless steel lined. I think it’s discontinued now
I have the henckel 10 piece classic clad and they have been the best cookware i have used. Really even heat and good handles. I have seen the 7 piece on the net for 200 bucks, and I think the 10 piece was 300. Might be a bit more than the Calphalon.
Calphalon is a bit spendy and trendy.
I recommend stainless steel pots and pans with heavy bottoms and riveted handles.
Sams Club or Costco often have sets for cheap.
Spend your $$ on a good rock maple cutting board (Boos is good) and good knives (F. Dick or Henckels)
PS don’t get the Henckel’s International – Or even anything that comes with a knife block.

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no, you will never recreate the "non stick" with something like pam, each pan has their own purpose.

You can. Use Grape Seed Oil. Much better for you than Olive Oil, although depending on what you’re cooking will require just that much oil. I don’t use a lot of oil myself when cooking but when it needs oil, it needs oil.

And I don’t understand how Olive Oil isn’t low fat …
Sticking is not a problem with All-Clad. Get their MC2 series. Not even risotto sticks to my saute pan.
mmmm all-clad

just keep it well seasoned and use something like grapeseed oil

you can reuse oil if it’s something that you commonly cook/same exterior
I save bacon grease in a jar in the fridge for when I want to cook without non-stick pans.
I just rub a small amount of butter on the pan. Instant non-stick and I used what, maybe 1/8 inch of butter to lube up a 10 inch saute? Not shabby and I can’t imagine getting that much taste out of that low fat!
You need at least 1 non-stick pan for when you want to get a nice crust on something. This is impossible in a non-stick.
cast iron ftw. yeah, they are a bear to work with between the weight and the whole seasoning/breaking in process, but a well seasoned cast iron pan is awesome sauce.

at the same time, you prolly want some stainless pans for cooking acidic foods like tomatoes as well as at least 1 slick, non-stick pan (as Alton Brown once said, non-stick != slick and slick != non-stick though a pan can be non-stick and slick… or something like that) for eggs and such.
If you have a thrift store where you are you can usually find really good deals on cast iron pots and pans, they are good if you have any kind of iron deficiency because acidic foods will leach some of the iron out in to the food.

As fare as for caring for them the biggest thing you don’t want to do is put them in a dish washer or let them soak in water for a long time since this will destroy any seasoning the pan may have.

Olive oil is ALL FAT. It’s just a very light, low-energy fat. Just like every oil that’s liquid at room temperature.

Anyway, cooking with oil is better than cooking with teflon. The extra oil will make you feel fuller and takes longer to digest than simpler carbs, so you won’t get hungry as fast, and you’ll eat less overall.

I don’t buy that grapeseed oil is better for you than olive oil; the only difference is that grapeseed oil is almost always extra-virgin, because there’s much less demand for it and there’s no reason to press the grapeseeds more than once — or to drain each press into a separate container. It’s first-press oil that has all the vitamins and whatnot, not the type of oil; each type of oil has useful vitamins if you get the first press.

It’s worth noting that this is the reason pewter cookware and tableware should be avoided at all costs: the same acid that leaches iron out of steel pots will leach lead out of pewter pots, and my guess is you’re already happy with your current level of stupidity.

yes yes I am thank you very much, that’s why I stick with cast iron, I know what went into it, and there are not any chemicals that will make me retarded. I’ve also got into casting my own pots and pans from cast iron since I’ve become involved with my school’s foundry.

I had mine to the point where I could cook eggs in it w/o problems… I need to start using it again and build the seasoning up.
What’s hard about seasoning iron? Just rub canola oil on it once a week.
It’s not just the oil, but also cooking the oil, as well as all the things you’ve cooked in the pan before. If all you do is oil it, all you’ve got is oiled metal, not seasoned iron. I prefer handed down cast iron, as it’s more seasoned than you’ll ever get it in your lifetime.

It’s monounsaturated.

.

I stripped down my castiron pan recently to remove some strange carbon accumulation that was flaking off of the outside, and even after 10-15 sessions of trying to get it seasoned, stuff still sticks that never would have even tried to before I stripped it.
At work, we’ve got five cast iron pans- BIG ones. Big enough that they almost cover 2 burners on a 6-burner Imperial range. Over the probably 20 years that three shifts have been using them, they have become as seasoned as any handed down pans I’ve seen. I make scrambled and fried eggs in them with no problems.

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Knife set w/ Steak knives – What is good?
Pot/pan set – What metals? Nonstick?
Quality cutting board – Wood or Plastic?
Blender – Cuisinart?
Mixer – Kitchenaid (artisan or pro?)
Kitchen Tools (shears, and other utensils)
Baking Tools (trays and such) – silicone stuff?

Mixing bowls

and

Plates/bowls/dishes
Silverware
Coffee machine
Toaster

Anything I’m forgetting? What should I expect to spend for all this? Brand reccomendations would be great as would suggestions on what to avoid and how to pick the right items.
Good link but I’m more curious as to brands, materials, and what justifies the costs of certain items.

since i hand-picked all of my stuff from SCRATCH, for utility and quality, ill tell you what I HAVE – which is effectively everything that one NEEDS:
**********
1. messermeister meridian elite 8" chefs knife – 100$
this is solingen-made quality steel; the kitchen workhorse
2. forschner 8" chefs knife w/ wood handle – 30$
this is THE value kitchen knife. very sharp.
the reason i have 2 chefs knife is (a) 1 for meat 1 for vegetables (b) guests can use it [nobody touches my messermeister]
3. messermeister meridian elite 4" paring knife – 10$(?)
i actually dont use it much… but everyone needs a paring knife for small work. i bought messermeister to match my chef’s knife…but you can get forschner
4. forschner 12" serrated bread knife – 20$(?)
nothing else can cut bread
5. forschner 4" lime knife w/ dual-pronged end – 5$
random use knife. neat end for stabbing a lime and dropping in a cocktail
6. messermeister honing steel – 20$
use this to keep your knife edges straight. a hone is NOT a sharpener. honing is regular maintenance. leave knife sharpening to a pro
7. get knife SLEEVES to protect your knives, or a magnetic strip. big wooden blocks are dumb. (i have messermeister sleeves.. but looking for mag strip)

dont buy a gay henckels/wustoff SET like everyone else. most of that shit is superfluous. buy a-la-carte only what you need. no, you dont need steak knives
**********
7. BAMBOO cutting board – 20$
you want a large surface… nothing more annoying than having shit spill over. i *just* got a great 20$ board from costco that is bamboo in base, but has 8 poly inserts which you overlay the bamboo as actual cutting surface. this way, you wont need to buy multiple boards for a big job.

8. salt & pepper & general grinder – 3×20$
fresh ground stuff > *. use for rock salt, whole peppercorns, and any spice should you need spice
*********
9. 10" gourmet standard SS-AL-SS cladded saute pan w/ lid – 80$
cladded SS > thick SS > thick alum > anodized alum > * > shitty thin pans > any teflon nonstick bullshit
i have no need for curved "frying" pan when i have saute pan. straight tall sides holds liquid for braising if needed. 12" takes too much space on stove. 8" not enough room for food.

10. 12" lodge cast-iron griddle/frying pan – 20$
this has been winning favor away from my saute pan.
pros: durable as fuck. holds shitload of heat (meats go here). non-stick as motherfucker (eggs go here; fuck you teflon!)
cons: heavy. need little more care. reactive to acidic food (tomatoes, wine) — hence have SS saute pan for such uses

11. calphalon 3-qt SS/AL/SS saucier/chef’s pan w/ lid – 50$
its like a sauce pan, but curved sides, so whisks can hit everything. decently wide, decently tall; it does everything – hence "chefs pan". cooks single serving rice, pasta, boils veggies, etc, and obviously reduces sauces.

12. 5qt enameled cast-iron dutch oven/"casserole" – 50-150$
cast-iron holds lots of heat. enameling allows it to work with acidic food, so this is perfect for pasta sauces, soups, stews, etc. you’ll always see one on a cooking show. if you’re a baller buy a le creuset or staub. i bought martha stewart brand on sale for 50$ and it still looks good and works extremely well

13. Analon 12-gal stainless steel cladded stockpot – 50$
ideally, you’ll get fully cladded pot, but most pots are only cladded at the base, which is really all you need. you can get tramontina, cuisinart chefs classic, calphalon, etc… its just a big pot (preferably with thick material) for boiling crabs, lobsters, crawfish, making big soup, stock, etc
**************

14. silicone oven mitts. silicone mats/trivets (which doubles as can opener). silicone handles high heat, and stays cleaner

15. lots of them. the standard looking steel ones… dont get fancy here.

16. wooden/bamboo cooking utensils. plastic = melts. metal = scrapes and fucks up your shit. silicone = for homos. just get a buncha paddle looking things

17. nice high quality kitchen shears. im not sure what brand mine are, but i use them for everything.

18. thick LARGE SS roasting pan w/ roast rack

19. mesh splash guards – in case you fry/saute/etc a lot of stuff

20. some fine sieves

21. a few colander bowls for veggies, pasta, etc

22. few rectangular clear bake dishes

23. few large cookie trays/sheets

24. buncha large SS bowls, and small SS bowls. i keep my prepped food items in here before cooking them.

above are the *needs*

you dont need a mixer. i never use a blender or processor (though ive got them). stick with brands like cuisinart or kitchenaid. you dont need machines with 73 speed settings. get ones built sturdily, with on/off switches and a pulse switch. thats all you need. no need for toaster if youve got toasting oven.
Check out a restaurant supply store.
I prefer F. Dick knives as utility/prep knives.
Cheap, fast, and strong.
This is just the stuff that I have, and I love to cook and cook very often. The vast majority of my stuff I make sure I can put in the dishwasher. My nice knives don’t go in, wooden things don’t go in, and my old castiron pan doesn’t go in either.

Knife set w/ Steak knives – I love my Wusthof Classic series knives, I have 1 9" chef’s knife and a 3.5" paring knife, then a cheapo off brand bread knife and a hand-me-down fillet knife. I’d probably get a few cheapo paring knives to throw in the dishwasher, I have about 4. I bought a Wusthof block to keep them in and I’m very happy with it.

Pot/pan set – I have no idea, I still have lots of hand-me-downs, but you definitely need a good nonstick, and a good castiron. If you can find a used one, it’ll probably be better(better seasoning) but a new Lodge one or similar would be fine.

Quality cutting board – I have about 5 plastic cutting boards. They’re easy because I can just throw them in the dishwasher, and they’re cheap. Other than not looking as nice as wood, I don’t really see a downside. I have one that I only use for raw meats too, and I can tell it apart because of the color.
Blender – A Vitamix would be the ultimate, and they’re truly worth the money if you ever do any kind of blending. Both my father and my boyfriend’s parents have one, I have a cuisinart hand-me-down from the 70′s.

Mixer – Kitchenaid is decent quality. I’m perfectly happy with my Artisan mixer, and I use it fairly regularly. If you’re going to be using it every weeks for something, maybe go with the pro, but realistically, you should be fine.

Kitchen Tools -You can get shears with your knife set, just make sure they separate into 2 pieces for easy cleaning. You’ll want a few silicone spatulas(they might be "gay" but they handle heat well, don’t scratch stuff, nothing sticks to them, and they can be tossed in the dishwasher), at least one smooth wooden spoon, a ladle or something to serve soupy stuff with, at least 1 whisk(I really adore my flat whisk and it takes up less room than a balloon whisk), I have a few pairs of tongs that I use for grilling/turning meat and stuff, a good meat thermometer, a candy thermometer, veggie peeler, I use my cheese slicer/shaver a lot, a microplane box grater(epic), a small microplane zester for zesting and shaving parmesan, measuring cups(i have a cheap plastic set, and 2 and 4 cup pyrex ones), you’ll want a Pyrex bowl set, super cheap on Amazon, and a pastry brush or 2(1 for sweet, 1 for savory), an offset spatula or 2 are handy for frosting things, I have a huge one and a tiny one. You’ll want at least 2 colanders, 1 big one for pasta, and one wire/mesh one for straining things like seeds out of things and chicken stock, etc. I have 2, one finer than the other. That’s all I can think of off the top of my head.

Baking Tools – I much prefer regular old materials to silicone, after having both a silicone loaf pan, and silicone cupcake tray, I gave both of them away. Metal ones seem to work so much better. I would get professional sized aluminum baking sheets(with edges) and a silpat or 2 if you ever do any baking. These are worth their weight in gold. I use my 3 baking sheets and silpats for baking and flash freezing. You’ll want at least 1 9×13" baking pan, I prefer pyrex, as well as loaf pan(s), I have 2 8" cake rounds, and a 9" (leak resistant) springform pan.

and

Plates/bowls/dishes – I got mine at cb2.com and I’m impressed with their quality. I got 8 dinner plates, 8 bowls, and 8 salad/dessert plates for less than $100 on sale, and they’re hefty and gorgeous.

Silverware- Get nice SS silverware. I made the mistake of getting Target silverware when I moved out and after a couple years it started rusting and generally looking unpleasant.

Coffee machine – unless you drink a whole "pitcher" of coffee every day, you’d probably be better off getting a french Press. They take up less space and make better coffee. You’ll also want at least a cheap coffee grinder.

Toaster – Get a toaster oven. I wish I had bought one instead of my pretty red toaster. I have no idea who makes nice ones.

How about a microwave?
Great stuff!! Gives me lots to think about. I am definitely looking into some good cast iron cookware after hearing everyone on here praise it especially after its well seasoned.
Oh and realistically how much should I expect to spend? I figure I can buy this stuff over time but I am thinking under 2k for everything would give me enough money to get stuff that will last.
I’d start pricing out the expensive stuff, most of it you can live without for a while. I tend to buy things as I need them. I personally only make cupcakes once every 2-3 years, so if I didn’t have a cupcake pan, I wouldn’t miss it.

One more thing you probably want to get is a good dutch oven. Think about the average size of a roast, and get one a little bigger than that. I asked my boyfriend for a castiron dutch oven for christmas, expecting a ceramic-coated Le Creuset of some sort. I ended up with an ENORMOUS non-coated castiron camping one. It’s huge, but it holds heat very well an I could cook something pretty huge in there.

When seasoning your castiron pan, you’ll want to keep it coated with a little oil at all times. After a weak moment of wanting to remove carbon deposits from the outside, I ended up ruining the seasoning, so I’m in the process of reseasoning the damn thing. I just keep it coated in a little oil and in the oven. That way whenever I’m baking, preheating or whatever, it’s getting some seasoning. I felt sick to my stomach the first time I tried to cook with it after removing the seasoning, and the pork chop I was searing stuck. So there’s your warning, keep the outside clean, and if it gets chunky, don’t pick at it too much!

An enameled dutch oven is pretty high up on my list of things to buy once I move into my new place. Are the higher end brands like le creuset or staub really worth the extra cost? Who makes good quality cast iron cookware?

And on the topic of seasoning and cleaning cast iron. Do you clean the inside also or will that strip away the "seasoning" I’m new to this so bear with me!
You clean it carefully. If I didn’t cook anything with strong flavor(cornbread, german pancakes, etc) I just wipe it out with a dry paper towel, if it seared steak or something in it, it gets a quick scrapedown with warm water, and then I swish some diluted soapy water in to break up excess grease. That’s probably not the right way to do it though.

I have no idea about brands, but you can get Le Creuset stuff at Marshall’s occasionally for a lot less than most kitchen stores.

Betty crocker SS set. Cheap, medium thickness, better than any nonstick. But it’s not idiot proof. You can’t use it to deep fry and it’s difficult to clean.

We also have two sets of Calphalons here. The dishwasher’s pot scrubber setting has slightly ruined a couple of them.

As for silicone, while I love my small spatula, the turner is a pain to use. I think I prefer wood.

Flatware

Not the prettiest, but cheap and strong.

I didn’t pick out our dinnerware (it’s some lame china) but I like this

Or a whole set of wood/bamboo, or sushi style dinnerware.

You need a pizza stone too. Square rather than round. And a bamboo steamer for fun.

For coffee, a french press is the best.

If you get a toaster oven, get a convection one.

Last but not least, a big wok.
silicone spatula and stuff too flexy. wood > silicone
forgot 2 items: silicone BASTING brush – very useful – 5$ and microplane zester (AWESOME) – 15$

i gave you prices for everything
Cast iron is the greatest!! I inherited all my grandmother’s iron.

The proper way to clean cast iron is to first rinse with water to remove the majority of gunk. Then for the stubborn stuff, use vegetable oil and salt to scrub the surface with a paper towel. Rinse well, and re-oil. Soap is a huge no-no.
Plastic srubbies work well too.

A slow cooker is the working person’s best friend! Hamilton Beach make a really nice 3 in 1 slow cooker for under $50

Buy cheap nonstick pans and replace them frequently. The surfaces all break down, and if you’re not heavily invested, you’re more likely to get rid of them before you start ingesting the stuff. I only use them for eggs, anyway.

I absolutely HATE my silicone basting brushes. I’ve tried 2 different models because I keep wanting to fall in love with them but they just don’t work well. The "fibers" are too big, too slick, and too far apart to hold any amount of liquid unless it’s a very thick sauce that you’re basting with. Regular old cheap plastic basting brushes work much better and you can throw them out when they start getting weird from heat.
an enameled pot/ "dutch oven" acts like a slow cooker but you can control the heat more finely

why throw away 4 cheap thin uneven nonstick pans at 60$ when you can buy a good one at 60$. do eggs on seasoned cast iron
getting cast iron seasoned well enough to do eggs takes time. I like having cheap teflon pans that I can put in the dishwasher and not worry about damaging.

Perhaps, but you’re not going to leave your oven on all day while you’re at work, are you? Also, a slow cooker is the very best way to make homemade spaghetti sauce… if you do it right, you can allow your gravy to cook all day without stirring, or worrying about it scorching on the bottom.

I explained my reason why… because all non-stick surfaces break down, regardless of price. Throw them away after 2-3 years, or go ahead and eat the synthetic crap that comes off of them…

One of my cast iron pans is nearly 100 years old. It’s as seasoned as it’s ever going to get. I defy anyone to fry an egg in that pan without breaking the yoke… It might be possible with enough bacon grease in the bottom, but who wants all that fat and extra calories? Eggs are about the only thing a non-stick surface is really good for. Just don’t get it too hot.
Cast iron is great for almost everything… eggs being one of the almosts.

80% of the reason i bought my dutch oven was to make sauces for pasta. to start as a flavor base i brown pancetta, which cannot be done in an electric machine. sometimes also add sauteed eggplants for pasta alla norma, etc

yeah… thats why you dont buy a non-stick in the first place, and never have to be exposed to eating that synthetic crap..

this is more for Laurel: one does not need an 100 year old pan. my pan took all of 3 uses (from the day it was shipped from factory) for eggs to slip off of it like a wet squid…

in fact, cast iron is not great for everything, unless that ‘everything’ you cook is all southern/american. want to make indian style dish with tomato base? nope. french and italian stuff involving wine (ie coq au vin?)? pan-reduced sauces? anything delicate? the fact that cast iron (as well as aluminum) is reactive with acids calls for the need of enameling…

Except that you have completely neglected my reason for recommending a slow cooker in the first place… "The working person’s best friend"…
Would you leave your oven on all day, while you’re at work?

Wait… didn’t you just argue in favor of laying out big money for non-stick pans? Why would you pay $60 for something you wouldn’t use "in the first place"?

I gotta tell ya, I seriously doubt your word… if you’ve ever cooked an egg, you would know that eggs stick to cast iron like warm lips to frozen mailboxes!! If you have some magic seasoning skills that the rest of us don’t know about, I’m all ears cowboy!

LOL… technically, you’re right… acid based sauces are not ‘best’ in an iron skillet… however, this convoluted discussion started over the virtues of iron, vs non-stick… are you going to make a sauce, any sauce, in a non-stick skillet? Of course you’re not… and I think you know what I meant, even though you are strangely argumentative for some bizarre reason…

does your slowcooker have a timer? (mine doesnt). in my case, it would be no difference between leaving that on, and leaving a dutch oven on… (ive got a good stove with simmer control)

i favor 60$ on a decent regular pan, and NOT buyign any non-stick/teflon coated pan at all

you could pretty much make it not stick to any surface with a decent coating of oil. eggs would stick to a dry cast iron because of all the small pores on the surface… if one is liberal with the seasoning then eggs will slide like roller skates. put some oil on a paper towel and wipe the pan just before doing eggs… (or, of course, just cook it in bacon fat)

I have a cast iron pan that my grandmother’s mother gave her. Before I made the stupid mistake of removing seasoning, it still wouldn’t fry an egg nearly as well as my $15 nonstick pan will. I don’t know if you have some magic ability to season a castiron pan to fry an egg without a huge amount of grease in it, but I’d like to hear about it. Sure, if I fried 1/2 lb of bacon in my pan, then cracked an egg into it, it probably wouldn’t stick, but this negates the reason to have a nonstick, low-fat cooking, which is not possible with cast iron.

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Can anyone recommend a good stainless steel cleaner/polisher?
nice.

I really need to redo our kitchen, but that would include new flooring and the floor is no longer level. I fear the cost…

That’s an Ikea flat pack kitchen?

Wow!!!

Do want!

Nice work
I like …

- the colour
- the cabinets over the fridge
- corner cabinet
- the hardware

It looks like you changed everything except the fridge.

Cost?

Yeah, not level floors would be a bitch.

Yep! It is really nice, great to work with.

Yeah, we bought the fridge shortly after moving in, so we kept it.

Cabinets, counter, diswasher, microwave, and oven from Ikea were about 6k

Flooring is from Congoleum called DuraCeramic. Was 680 for 130sq ft.

Unlevel floor? Not too big a problem. Next time I’m up your way, I can give it a look and advise you on how to fix it.

I was looking at the pictures thinking the before was on the left. I kept going, "why the fuck did you change that"
dude looks AMAZING, good work

one suggestion, consider crown moulding for the top of the cabinets, and put some lights behind it…that would really spruce it up

Thanks! I’ve thought of that, maybe putting in some kind of LED strip lighting or something for some mood lights above the cabinets. Eventually I’m gonna do the undercabinet lighting as well.
Looks very sharp!!! I like it a lot.

If you want to put lights up above, run a box up above the cabinets and then plug in some rope lighting. That’s what we have above ours. The crown molding will conceal it and make it look sweet.

It was great Just have to be careful with the glue, it can get very messy if you’re not careful.

I get alot of people interested in it, but they usually get turned off by the glue and cost.

stainless steel is no fun cleaning, I have found the mr. clean magic erasers to work very well.

I didn’t mind the glue at all. Granted, the cost was a little high, but in the end it was worth it, I love that floor. Especially when you walk on it in barefeet and it’s nice and warm.

I’ll have to try that, normally I use Windex.
that looks good.. We have been looking at Ikea cabinets. Did you design that with their online design tools?
Looks very nice!

Simple Green makes some stainless steel cleaner and it’s awesome! Spray on a rag, wipe down stainless panel, buff panel with dry rag. It will not leave any streaks and it prevents smudges for quite a while too.

Yep, wife did it with the software you can download. Saved the design online, and the kitchen sales guy pulled it up at the store and went over it correcting any errors, or omissions and we ordered it. It was a rather wonderful experience.

Gonna pick some up next time I’m at the store.
holy shit $6700! Looks good, but damn that’s a lot of money. I’m so scared to buy a house, because I’m going to want to do stuff like that.

Good job

yeah, the warmth is nice. the Congoleum rep was in my store one day and was pushing it obviously. But he pointed out how the dura stone/ceramic have a warranty where regular ceramic tile doesn’t.

You think that’s expensive? Wait until you do become a homeowner. It can get much worse.
wow!! I’m so impressed! I LOVE the color and the cabinets. What a difference!
What was the price on the cabinets alone if you don’t mind me asking?

Gorgeous remodel – well done.

18 days and counting
Since this was bumped – from a decorating perspective – lose the glass vases and add some with colour, or put some nice bowls/plates up there that you use for serving stuff. The glass just doesn’t add any aesthetic appeal.

.
wow

ikea ftw

How long did it take to you to do it all?

Why do you say that?

If you’re gonna keep the glass vases, at least fill them wiht colored stones or something

Flooring crew

That kitchen looks amazing. Very nice job and a big thumbs up for putting your own floor in, its really not that hard when you get down to it.

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why do you say that?

I don’t know, now that I think about it, a regular coffee machine might be easier to use.
i’m in the same boat. i make coffee at home and stick it in a thermos so its still plenty hot when i get to work. Although that wouldn’t work so well if you wanted more than one helping of coffee through the day…god knows i could use more than one sometimes.
I make coffee at work, not cause the coffee is terrible but the water they use and the pipes that the water goes through is terrible. I have both a french press and a 10 cup drip. I use the company’s coffee packets with bottled water.

I like the french press coffee better, but the drip is far more convenient and the coffee I get is still better than the company coffee. So I stick with the 10 drip. It is the Hamilton Beach Brew Station.

Yea, I usually want another cup of coffee around 9am

Thanks for your suggestion! I do think that a drip would be easier than having a french press, plus it would make my office smell divine!
i got a senseo machine for free from some OT hot deal links. makes a cup in a minute
French press is better, and you just have to put hot water in it. they even make insulated ones now to keep your coffee warmer. Why not get that?
French press is better for taste/flavor and you’ll get more body out of your coffee, but they’re kind of annoying. If you don’t have the right grind you’ll get tons of grains in your coffee, if you don’t get the proportions right it can ruin it, and you have to let it sit for at least 4 minutes before pressing. It can take a while sometimes.
French Press takes 4 min + time to boil water, but makes great coffee every time if you have a good grinder
I’m a new coffee lover– so I don’t have my own personal grinder yet. I get my coffee ground at my local coffee shop though, do you think that would be good enough for a french press?
of course it would be. As long as you use it quick enough and store it in a freezer. Just let them know you are gunna use it in a french press so they can grind it a little bigger. But, yeah, only the pretentious coffee drinkers would say you need a $200 grinder for french press
Put a water filter on the faucet near the coffeemaker and start a collection for buying replacement filters. I did this at my office and nobody used it for about three months, but then one by one they all started using it and it goes through a filter every couple of weeks. The coffee tastes much better just having the filtered water.
French press, hands down…It takes about 10 minutes…best cup of coffee ever!

This is relevant
well crap. I went ahead and bought a 4 cup drip. Now I am regretting it.
french press if you like more of a bold taste/aroma

you can always get an electric kettle or hot pot express type thing and make instant style coffee

werd.. just get a 50 dollar burr grinder or something
french press. otherwise you might as well be drinking instant.
folgers used to make a similar coffee that came in type of "tea bag". they were ok, beat drinking that crap flavored coffee.

Yes, yes it is relevant.
The french press is too much of a pain in the ass for me. I grind up my Trader Joes columbian coffee the night before and load up the CoffeeMaster or whatever I have, dump in a pitcher of Brita water, and set the alarm for 5AM. Also, I get the faucet going hot and fill up my thermos. I have one of those old-school Stanley green steel thermosses. 501, I walk over and hit the button, go back and hit snooze, wait nine minutes for the snooze button to wake me up again.

520, I dump a little sugar, some milk, and pour the pot of coffee in the thermos. Cap it and put it in my backpack. There’s a big mug of coffee left in the pot so that’s what I drink while I wait for breakfast to cook up.

It’s at least ten cups in the thermos and it stays hot til noon and warm enough until about 4PM.
This makes awesome coffee, better than french press I think.

I only drink this and espresso.

.

This is much better coffee than French Press. Also you don’t really need a burr grinder unless you have a good expresso machine. Like Ranchilio or soemthing.

I’m not sure why everyone thinks french press is the greatest thing. It’s not that good coffee. A vacuum pot is cheaper, can make much more coffee, and tastes much better as well.

wait a second— what is that!?!?!?

Italian Coffeepot Moka: this delicious method use an alluminium coffee pot (the most famous brand is Bialetti) composed from three connected parts: a boiler in which the ebullition water brings him, the metallic filter in which the dust of coffee is set, a superior container in which Fitness coffee goes up ready finally to be taste. Water passes through the coffee thanks to the pressure furnished by the vapor. The time of contact between coffee and water is of about 1 minute. A drink results from the definite taste of it, of middle corposit? and from the intense aroma of coffee, herbs and spices. As a rule you’ll use aprox. 6/7 grams of Fitness Coffee (avoid to press the dust in the filter) to get a cup of 40-50 mls.

From–http://www.fitnesscoffee.com/index.preparation.htm

Those things are . I have a 1-cup one that I adore. It makes a slightly bigger mess than my french press though, as it spits a little coffee all over the stove when I use it. It was also only like $5 at a discount store though.

Storing beans/grounds in a fridge or freezer can ruin the coffee. This is a huge urban legend passed down through housewives and ignorant people.

When you put beans or grounds in a fridge or freezer the temperature drops. This temperature drop causes condensation and that small amount of liquid will ruin the coffee. It is especially worse for ground coffee, whole beans can still be alright. Furthermore, making the grounds colder doesn’t make them last longer.

Opened (ie no longer airtight) beans are good for 7 days. Once you grind the beans they are good for ~24 hours, but up to 48 hours is OK if you’re not picky. Always store grounds and beans in a sealed container at room temperature in a safe/dry location.

That is espresso. It’s just under lower pressure than the big expensive standalone espresso machines.

I have one. They’re made by Bialetti, and yes, the coffee they make is great.

Then it’s not espresso.

If you have a stove get one of those Italian stove top expresso makers, they make really good coffie and IKEA has a stainless steel one for cheap (~20 bucks)

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kthnxbai
You can get a really good setup for that amount. That’s a lot of money for a beginner. As far as how to spend it, I would go to places like these to check things out:

well, i can spend UP to 600$ on it, then what is a good value kit in that price range? i dont want to "settle" for crap equipment

You can buy an equipment kit for less that $100. Through in a SS pot and you’re pretty much ready to make beer. Of course, you can spend a lot of money on it initially, but you aren’t gonna really know what you’re doing or how to do it properly.

Buy a pot, buy a kit (usually consists of a carboy, a bucket a hydrometer and maybe a couple hoses) and buy an ingredient kit/recipe kit. That’ll get you started. Then once you’re ready, use more of that $600 to make better beer. I’ve been making beer a year now and still do it on my stovetop. But I’ve gotten my process down so that my efficiencies are solid and so is the beer, IMO.

I started about six months ago and still havent spent $600 on stuff and I have bought a lot of stuff over the last few months. I would say about $150 would get you a pretty good setup for starters.
ok – so i can save money for ingredients – awesome. can you share what type of equipment you currently use? and if you had to buy new ones, wht would you go for?
I’d get a deluxe kit from Austin Homebrew Supply. I got mine from mountain homebrew, but if I were to do it again, I’d order from AHS.

My current setup is:

1 6 – 1/2 gallon glass carboy
1 6 gallon bottling bucket
1 set of boiling pans – a 4 gallon, 3 gallon, and 2 gallon

Smaller Items -

Measuring Cups
Funnel
Bottle Caps
1 gallon pitcher
Beer thermameter
Hydrometer
Tupperware storage bins
Easy Clean Disinfectant
Carboy Brush
autosiphon
S shaped airlock
hoses
Priming Sugar

I am getting ready to purchase a turkey fryer so that I can brew outside this summer. Brewing stinks up the house and my wife bitches about it.

I know I am forgetting a couple of things but that is most of it. I purchase all my gear from a local store but I have heard nothing but great things from Austin Homebrew.

You can also try . It is a local guy here in KC that is trying to start a brew supply business. His has good prices for carboys.
This is something I’d like to try. Are those Mr Beer $25-50 kits any good?

is it necessary to get a SET of stock pots? (aka boiling pans)?

I need to get one for general cooking anyway, and i think the most practical sizes are 8qt or 12qt (2 or 3 gal)

I suppose larger is better – 3 gal?

Also, im looking between Hard Anodized and cladded Stainless Steel…prob doesnt matter for wort boiling

NO.

I started with a 4 gallon, doing 5 gallon batches. (2 gallons wort, then adding 3 gallons into the primary)

I’ve since moved on to a keggle (keg with the top cut, making it a large kettle = keggle) for full batches.

What about this one:

do you bottle or have mini keg? obviously bottling is good for gifting to friends, but i think there is convience++ in sending your stuff right to a small keg
how do you guys like the results that you’re getting using these kits???

Never seen that before.. Seems a little fetched for brewing though.

Get something like this..

I keg now. But I started bottling.
It’s kind of a right of passage. Kegging is a decent size step. Between cost and equipment needed, you really expand your brewing supplies.

With that said, I still bottle, somewhat.. I have friends that constantly ask for beers to be made or request 12 packs.. So I got a beer gun to fill from the keg to bottle.

Kegging was one of the best moves I have made. Its so much easier and hassle free, but im glad I started bottling then moving on to kegging.

Those kits really aren’t too bad.
If you get them from a good place that constantly rotates their stock, you’re fine. If you get an old kit with old yeast, you should probably grab some fresh yeast or start farming yeast from your batches to use.

You need to be able to boil 5 – 6 gallons of water. It can be done in one large boiling pan or several smaller ones. I got my set because it was on clearance at Wal-Mart for $20. I usually boil my Wort with 3 gallons in my 4 gallon pot and then an additional 2 gallons of water to top it off in my 3 gallon pan.

I plan on getting a turkey fryer with an 8 gallon pan this summer so I can do full boils outside versus my kitchen.

You don’t need to boil 5-6 gallons unless you’re doing full batches. And from the sound of it, he isn’t doing full batches.

Like you said, most kits and extract recipes call for 2 or 3 gallons at boil and then an add in of 2-3 into the primary.

You can get a 4 gallon at KMart/Walmart/Meijer at a decent price. When you start getting into 5 gallon +, they get expensive. Save the loot, buy a 4 gallon for now, then move up to a keggle.
Kegging is supposed to be a lot easier. I bottled when I used to make beer but it just took so long and there’s so much good beer available all over the place, it didn’t seem to be worth the effort.
Boiling all of your water is not necessary. I’ve been using water in gallon jugs from the grocery store to do the top-off on my batches. I find it much easier to do things that way. It cools the wort down quicker as well, because I put the jugs in the freezer when I start my boil.

Canned malt extract is pretty iffy. I’d order a recipe kit from a place like Austin Homebrew that has high turnover. They come with very simple directions. I’d suggest the American Red ale. It’s VERY good, easy to make, and simple. You’re going to want a scale that weighs in fractions of ounces though, to make your hop additions properly.

I have heard bad things about using the gallon spring water from the stores. I have heard about peoples batches being spoiled because the water was contiminated.

I see no reason to take the risk. Boiling water only takes 15 minutes and isnt difficult.
Many of the people on the homebrew board don’t even do that, they just use water straight from the tap(providing they’re not chlorinated heavily), but I see no point in taking the risk. I’ve had 5 batches with absolutely no problems, and don’t see the point in spending all of the extra time and effort to boil then cool an extra 3 gallons of water.

How do you know the batches were contaminated by the water? There are quite a few variables that could have caused contamination.
I’ve used store spring water and tap water with no issues really.

If one is really worried about the water you can always test it. For all grain you should make sure the Ph is right anyways.

You make a good point with that last statement I still dont want to take the risk though.

I usually will boil my top off water the day before and then seal it up and let it sit.

My first batch I ever did was contiminated and since then I am extra cautious becuase that was a lot of work for nothing but pooring 50 bottles down the sink.

When you do full batches, you boil your whole load.

I’ve used spring, distilled and tap… Never had a problem.

I can’t remember ever hearing a problem with water, unless its really shitty water.
$600 is a lot of money for a new brewer, I’d try to not blow it all at once and then improve where you think you need improving. Personally I wasn’t really happy with my brewing until I went all grain and started kegging. You could probably start with some partial mashes and extract and see what you think. The two things I’d splurge on if I were you would be a propane burner and big pot, and a good wort chiller. They make a better beer and your brew day easier. Also read about making yeast starters and oxygenating your wort. They’re easy to do and help your beer for little money. Past that ferment in a bucket, use a 5 gallon carboy to secondary, bottle from a bottling bucket…you shouldn’t need to spend a ton, at least yet.

My favorite supplier

My website has several calculators that brewers might find handy.

Agreed. Nice site, I will definately have that bookmarked.
Thanks, I haven’t added to it much lately but if anyone needs any specific calulators or math for brewing let me know. I’ve made a pretty large library of functions that can be put together.
Seriously, your calculators are awesome. I’m really happy you posted that.

I’d prost the thread if we had that here

Well, I used bottled spring water on my batch I started last night. So, hopefully there will be no issues.

But, I would never use tap water. I live in Kansas City which has the cleanest water in the nation and I still wouldnt use it for anything. That is taking a tremendous risk. Even the cleaniest tap water has bacteria in it that could destroy a batch of brew.
Luckily, no serious human pathogens can survive in beer. Just stuff that might give you the runs, but nothing that will kill you.

It may not hurt you but it can ruin a batch or beer that you worked awfully hard on!
I need to get some kegging equipment soon. I’m tired of bottling.

If you sanitize well, you should be fine.

Like I said, i’ve used it without any issues.

It’s one of the greatest things i’ve ever done (homebrewing wise)…
It makes life so much easier.

The bitch of it is that as soon as I started kegging, I needed bottles of beer.

So just when I think im out of bottling, I need it.
I thought I was done buying kegging crap, then came a beer gun.

Its never ending!

Very true.
It can be an expensive hobby, that’s for sure.

We do majority beer and a wine maybe twice a year.
I’ve done soda, but never had a batch turn out right.

So, we have all the normal brewing shit.. Wort chiller, jockey box, mash cooler, kegerator, 6 cornies, funnels, strainers, misc. crap, corkers, cappers, thermometers, etc etc etc
Its ridiculous.

With that said, I love it. I’ll keep spending my money on it.
Wife supports it, so im good!

pfft. Be a man, drink it anyway!

I want to try to make soda sometime.

I’ve had a terribly bad batch and made myself drink a bottle as punishment! Never again!

I tried making a Blue Moon clone, but lightly crushed the coriander before adding to the boil, then left it in carboy for fermentation. The flavor is overpoweringly coriander. It’s terrible and nearly undrinkable. I tried to let it mellow for a few months, but it just got worse! Now I just use it to cook, like when I make chili and beer brats.
In the fall look for a turkey Fryer, one of the gas ones, and use that to heat your brew pot, for several years I brewed on my stove and it took for ever to get 3 gallons of water to a boil. With a larger burner you can boil you water much faster.

Just get a couple of these

64 ounce grolsh top bottles, 15 bucks and the beer they come with which is 7.5 ABV isn’t too bad.

TOO bad they’re sold out at my local bevmo

I saw the turkey fryer and 8 gallon pot at Wal-Mart the other day for $40. I dont know about the quality of the pot though.

On my stove it takes 13 minutes to get 3 gallons to boil every single time.
My stove takes about 30 minutes to bring 3 gallons of water to a boil. I’ll be buying a turkey fryer as soon as I have room to use it.

Stupid fucking soda.

I’ve made 15 gallons of toilet flush.

Ouch

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